Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MMC Stock Position Lifted by Groupe la Francaise

Groupe la Francaise boosted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC) by 16.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,416 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 5,252 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $8,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 2,775.0% during the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 363.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 139 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Capital Analysts LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 61.0% during the first quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 169 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 87.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 21,079 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.22, for a total value of $3,841,015.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,977,231.82. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE MMC opened at $183.30 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $188.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $203.98. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $174.18 and a 1-year high of $248.00. The company has a market capitalization of $89.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.98, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.79% and a net margin of 15.60%.The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.63 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 9.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 2nd. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is currently 43.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MMC. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $243.00 to $237.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $258.00 to $257.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $226.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $224.56.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.